Congregationalism

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

or INDE- PENDENCY, a form of evangelical Christianity which vests all ecclesiastical authority in the individual believers associated in a local church, complete in itself, but holding advisory cooperative relations with similar bodies. Congregationalism holds in common with other evangelical Christians the great facts of sin and of redemption through the incarnation and atonement of Christ as taught in the Bible. Congregationalism denies that there is any authority in Scripture for uniting the churches of a nation or province into one Church or corporation, to be ruled by a bishop or bishops, superior to the bishop or pastor of particular congregations or by a presbytery or synod consisting of the pastors or elders of the several congregations of the nation or province. This principle of Church polity is the specialty which plainly distinguishes Congregationalism from Episcopacy, Presbyterianism, Methodism, and all denominations whose churches are organized into a body having over its members any authority other than advisory. Congregational polity is based upon three ideas: ideas: the right of each individual to take part in the government of the community; the autonomy of the local church; and its independence of all external ecclesiastical authority. While complete in itself, the local hurch may voluntarily unite with other churches for consultation and common action; but no resolution of any such union binds the individual church without its own consent. Usually each church has one minister or pastor, who is chosen by the free suffrages of the membership, but there may be more than one. In addition to the pastor or pastors, home missionaries and evangelists are sometimes appointed. Home missionaries and evangelists, if employed by a church for local service, are under the supervision of the church and not of the pastor, save as he is an agent of the church. Those commonly known as home missionaries and many evangelists, while members of some local church, are usually clergymen who have been formally inducted into the ministerial office according to the usages of the denomination. Standing in the ministry is given (1) by the action of the church authorizing one of its members or any other person it may deem qualified to exercise ministerial functions; (2) by the action of a voluntary association of Congregational ministers approving a candidate after due examination, and commending him for a limited time as such to the churches; (3) by an action of a Council of Churches rches called by some local church or acting in its name, ordaining a man as pastor or evangelist or missionary, or installing a minister as pastor of the church calling the council. The secular affairs of the church are administered by trustees appointed by the church or by an ecclesiastical society called the parish, made up of members of the congregation, not all necessarily members of the church. In some matters, like calling and installing a pastor, or, the church and the society act conjointly. The principles of this polity are held also by the Baptists, Unitarians, Universalists, and other denominations. The first Congregational Church in England, of which there was any record, was formed in London about 1571. Robert Fitz was the minister, and his "True Marks of Christes Churche" is the first document relating to English Congregationalism known to be in existence. The most prominent name in connection with Congregationalism at this time is that of the Rev. Robert Browne, who left the Established Church, and, in conjunction with the Rev. Robert Harrison, formed a Congregational Church at Norwich in 1580. Another famous clergyman was John Robinson. The members of his church fled from persecution to Holland, and 12 years later crossed the Atlantic "landing at Plymouth, the Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower." In the cabin of the "Mayflower" was signed the famous compact which might be called the magna charta of American At this time the Congregationalism. nalism. Congregationalists were sometimes called "Brownists" (after the Rev. Robert Browne), sometimes "Separatists" (beeep the church cause they would keep separate from the world), and sometimes "Independents." This last designation Congregationalists themselves soon adopted, and have ever since retained. Congregationalism in England. - In the Westminster Assembly (appointed by Parliament in 1643 to draw up some order of public worship for the nation), there were five representatives of the Congregationalists. Under Cromwell the Independents became supreme. Their church meetings were held in Westminster Abbey. At the time of the Protector's death (Oct. 12, 1658), a general council of Congregationalists was meeting in the Savoy. The council issued a "Declaration of Faith and Order." The "Declaration" was not binding upon any particular church, but it is almost as in the history of Congregaimportant ant tionalism as the Westminster Confession is in the history of Presbyteriangreatly and ism. The denomination was g permanently strengthened by the Act of Uniformity (Aug. 24, 1662), which drove 2,000 ministers and many thousands of laymen out of the Established Church. Under the later Stuarts Congregationalists had their share of persecution. After passing the Act of Toleration (May 24, 1689), they took an active part in the extension of civil and religious liberty. They were chief among the founders of the London Missionary Society (1795), and the first tract for the Religious Tract Society was written by Dr. Bogue, in 1799. In 1831, the Congregational Union of England and Wales was formed, and an International Council of Congregationalists met in London in July, 1891. Congregationalism in America. - In the United States the first Congregational Church was founded at Plymouth, New England, in 1620, by the party of pilgrims sent from Holland by John Robinson. In 1837, the spread of the Antinomian doctrine caused much discussion in the Church. By a synod convened in New England Antinomianism was unanimously condemned. In 1638 College was founded. In 1658 Harvard ard the Savoy Confession was adopted ted and still remains. Unitarian principles spread, about 1800, widely in the Congregational churches of America, and though a separation took place between the Unitarians and the Trinitarians, both still retain the Congregational form of church government. In addition to the Conference, or Association of Churches, by which they cooperate for common ends, a National Council meets triennially "for advisory and not juridical ends." Beside such well-known colleges as Bowdoin, Amherst, Williams, and Oberlin, the American Congregationalists possess theological seminaries at Andover, Bangor, New Haven, Hartford, Oakland, Chicago, and elsewhere. There are six National Societies, through which the charities of Congregationalists mainly flow. There were in the United States in 1919 808,- 122 members of Congregational churches with 6,019 churches and 5,722 ministers. In the Sunday Schools were 709,859 pupils. The expenses of the church were $10,251,506. A five-year tercentenary a $5,000,000 fund for campaign for ministers' pensions was completed successfully in 1920. CHURCH, THE, a church founded in 1852 in Georgia by ministers and laymen of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with the purpose of following Methodist beliefs, but giving the congregations of the respective churches the controlling voice in church government. The first general convention of the church was held in 1855. The growth of the movement has been slow, for in 1913 they reported but 333 churches with somewhat over 15,000 members. The Atlanta Bible School is conducted under the auspices of this church. The official organ is "The Messenger," published at Ellisville, Miss.